PyWO - Python Window Organizer

Introduction

PyWO allows you to easily organize windows on the desktop using keyboard shortcuts. It's inspired by Quicktile, Compiz plugins: Grid, Put, and Maximumize.

Features:

Move window in any direction and snap it to other windows' edges
Resize (expand or shrink) window in any direction
Place window in predefined places on the desktop
Use grid-like layout (place window and cycle predefined sizes)
Switch windows' positions
Highly customizable

Watch PyWO in action

Download

Download archive with PyWO-0.2 for stable version.

Checkout project's Subversion repository for development version (/trunk folder). This version contains latest features and bugfixes, but I can't guarantee that it will be stable!

Requirements

You need Python 2.5 or higher with python-xlib module installed (on Ubuntu you need to install python-xlib package).

PyWO works with (or at least should work with) any EWMH compliant window manager.

Seems to work OK (or almost OK) with:

Compiz (tested with 0.7.8, and 0.8.4) (does not work with 0.9.x used by Unity)
Metacity (tested with 2.24 and 2.30.1)
KDE (KWin) (tested with 4.3.0)
XFCE (Xfwm4) (tested with 4.6.1)
Enlightment (e16) (tested with 1.0.0)
Openbox (tested with 3.4.10)
FVWM (tested with 2.5.28)

In 0.2 version there are problems with:

Blackox (tested with 0.70.1), IceWM (tested with 1.36) - no support for _NET_FRAME_EXTENTS, but I should be able to write a hack to get borders' size anyway (fixed in development version)
Fluxbox (tested with 1.1.1), WindowMaker - window is moved 1px (to right and bottom) too far, not sure why... (fixed in development version)
Sawfish (tested with 1.3.5.2) - (fixed in development version)
pekwm (tested with 0.1.11) - some strange behaviour (fixed in development version)
JWM - some strange behaviour
Afterstep - _NET_WORKAREA returns None

Development version works OK with GNOME 3 (Mutter)

Usage

Just run ./pywo.py

Create ~/.pyworc file to configure PyWO. Read PyWO Configuration for reference. Defaults can be found in pyworc file. You can choose one of the predefined grid layouts: 2x2, 3x2 (default), 3x3, or define your own.

PyWO creates /tmp/PyWO.log file where all debugging informations are logged.

Default keyboard shortcuts:

Alt-Ctrl-Shift-Q    - exit PyWO
Alt-Ctrl-Shift-R    - reload configuration file
Alt-Ctrl-Shift-I    - print debug information about window manager and current window

Alt-KP_Divide       - switch windows (change position of the window)
Alt-Shift-KP_Divide - cycle windows (change contents of the window)

Alt-KP_1-9          - move window in a direction (KP_1-9 - numpad keys)
Shift-KP_1-9        - expand window in a direction (5 works as maximumize compiz plugin)
Alt-Shift-KP_1-9    - shrink window
Alt-Ctrl-KP_1-9     - put window to predefined position
Ctrl_KP_1-9         - put and resize (grid), and cycle widths
Ctrl-Shift_KP_1-9   - put and resize (grid), and cycle heights

Cycle/Switch - press keyboard shortcut and select other window (using Alt-Tab, or using mouse). If you want to cancel switch/cycle press again the keyboard shortcut

Known bugs

shrinking with MIDDLE direction is not always working as expected
windows set to appear on all desktops can cause some problems (fixed in development version)
problems with windows with border_width > 0

TODO

~~keyboard setting for laptop users (withou keypad) - maybe vim like HJKL, or UIOJKLM<>?~~
Undo feature
test with more than one monitor connected - if you want to help me with multi monitor support please send me output of this script - it will check diplays, screens, resolutions
more settings for move and expand actions
~~prepare for easy_install (implemented in development version)~~
~~use pkg_resources and entry_points for plugins system (implemented in development version)~~
snap only to visible windows only (skip windows that are covered by others)
unit testing (in progress)
~~add D-Bus communication (implemented in development version)~~

Changelog

developmnet version (check out /trunk from repository)

fixed support for Fluxbox, Blackbox, IceWM, Sawfish, Window Maker, pekwm
fixed handling of sticky windows
added capslock setting
grid_2x2 and grid_3x2 ignore grid_height action by default
new actions: activate, close, sticky, shade, fullscreen, maximize(vert|horz), iconify, above, below
aliases for action and section names
D-Bus communication with PyWO
matching windows by name, and classname
commandline support (similar to wmctrl)
distribution as Python package (easy_install / pip support)
major refactoring - it is now possible to use pywo as wrapper for Xlib library
support for third-party plugins
modal mode - for use without keypad
Xinerama support

0.2

added switch and cycle actions
added ignore options for [SETTINGS] section and layout definition sections

0.1.1

changed license to GPLv3 (I've noticed that python-xlib is under GPLv2 so it seems I can't use Apache License 2.0)
some changes in events module

0.1

first release

Gurdil / pywo

readme